While the new Calibre de Cartier was set up to be the brand's highlight this year, Cartier's other novelties were more than just supporting characters. The Astrotourbillon, Central Chronograph and Durer's Folium Second in particular made for an exceptional showing at the SIHH fair.
'Cartier's biggest challenge is always to come out with increasingly creative products year after year,' says Pierre Rainero, the brand's image, style and heritage director. 'We also want to make sure that the complexity of our technical lines matches the beauty of our jewellery lines.'
Cartier has certainly made headway in terms of its technical expertise, with the release of its first self-winding mechanical movement created entirely in-house, the calibre 1904 MC.
The calibre is named after the year Cartier released its first wristwatch. In 1904, Louis Cartier gave his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont a timepiece that could be worn on the wrist - one of the few such models at the time. The advantage of a wristwatch was that as a pilot, Santos-Dumont was able to read the time while keeping his hands on the plane controls.
Over a century later, Cartier pays tribute to this technological milestone with Calibre de Cartier, the new men's watch that houses the 1904 MC movement.
In order to offset external influences that may affect the accuracy of the self-winding movement, the centre of the rotor is fitted with ceramic ball bearings for better shock resistance and durability. Other innovations within the movement include traditional reversers to help with winding, and a bi-directional winding system that relies on the movement of the oscillating weight (in either direction) to wind the movement.